CLS December 2018 Meeting

Speaker and Program

Dr. John Lyons of the University of Wisconsin will speak on "The life, death, and rebirth of the goodeid livebearer fauna of the Teuchitlan Springs, Mexico".

"I'll review the natural and human history of these amazing springs, which are (or were) the home of the (relatively) well-known goodeids Ameca splendens, Skiffia francesae, and Zoogoneticus tequila. Then I'll trace the decline and loss of much of the native fauna, and I'll end with the ground-breaking efforts of Mexican conservationists, supported by hobbyists in North America and Europe, to re-introduce and restore extinct fish populations in the springs."

About the speaker

"I’ve been a fish nerd nearly my entire life, observing, catching, and keeping fish for well over 50 years. Currently, I’m Curator of the Fishes at the University of Wisconsin Zoological Museum in Madison, a position I have held since 1985. Until I retired in 2017, I was also a fisheries research scientist and supervisor for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, where I worked for over 32 years. I’m originally from New York State, and I came to Madison, Wisconsin, for graduate school in 1979, loved the area, and never left. I received my B.S. degree in biology from Union College in Schenectady, NY, and my M.S. and Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, all with an emphasis on the study of fish. Although I’m interested in all fishes throughout the world, my specialties are the fishes of Wisconsin and the upper Midwest and the freshwater fishes of Mexico. I’ve made 39 (and counting) scientific trips to Mexico and other parts of Latin America, working on a wide variety of species in many different habitats and locations. Currently, much of my focus has been on the conservation of Goodeid livebearers and other fishes in central Mexico. I’m a better field biologist than aquarist, but I currently maintain four species of rare Goodeids at home and at the Zoological Museum."

Donations for our Table

The primary method we use to raise funds is through sales at the GCCA Swap Meet. We need your donations of fish and other goods to help raise money for the club. Please bring your items to the swap and the earlier the better!